OPENING ADDRESS

Abstract:
On behalf of the International Society for Horticultural Science it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this 2nd ISHS Symposium on Soil Sickness and Replant Diseases in Fruit Trees.

While attendance may have been helped a bit by the 23rd ISHS Congress, which has just concluded in Florence, it is to the enthusiasm and efforts of Franco Zucconi that we mainly owe the successful organization of a symposium dealing with so difficult and complex a topic.
He in actual fact had to forego the Florence Congress and devote his full attention to the Symposium.
So let us give him some extra time in his introductory lecture to fit in a few of the comments that he should have made at Florence.

Three years ago at Bonn, Professor Lenz courageously took the lead in squarely addressing the problem of fruit tree replants.
And the result, judging by the proceedings published in Acta Hort. no. 233, was indubitably positive, both as to the interest it aroused and to the quality of the contributions.

This initiative was followed up by the efforts of Dr.
Utkhede of the Summerland Station in British Columbia, Canada.
He has sent out two circulars, maintained contact with the researchers in various countries, and has agreed to organize the 3rd Symposium at Summerland three years from now.

The Symposium has thus far been instrumental in bringing together a group of about 30 researchers from around the world who have concentrated their efforts on soil sickness and replant.
They include soil specialists, biologists, physiologists, pathologists, microbiologists, mycologists and pomologists.
Together they cover a wide spectrum of expertise, nor could it be otherwise in addressing problems that no individual could deal with alone.
And they are all present here in Bologna today to provide an update on current research.

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Bologna are honored to host this Symposium.
So, too, is the Institute of Arboriculture and Fruit Science which, through the efforts of Massimo Tagliavini, has made its full cooperation available in order to assure the Symposium's success and to make its participants feel as welcome and as confortable as possible throughout these next two days.

Let me here recall that the University of Bologna has recently celebrated its 9th Centenary by inviting to the many events commemorating this milestone scholars and researchers from all over the world.
Let us hope that some of this centuries-old tradition can help us resolve some of the problems to be taken up at this Symposium - problems that are so keenly felt by so many growers.

Finally, let me extend our sincere thanks to all the participants and to the sponsors - the Emilia-Romagna Regional Authorities, the Bologna Province Administration and the University of Bologna - whose support was fundamental in organising this Symposium.